Production of Ethanol

Producing Ethanol from Corn 1.The corn will be milled into a fine powder

2.The powder will be mixed with water and an enzyme to speed chemical change and then cooked

3.Yeast is added to ferment the sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide.  Fermentation is the anaerobic process that converts organic material from one chemical form to another.  Accomplished with the use of enzymes that are produced by living organisms.

The chemical formula for fermentation: C 6 H 12 O 6  2 CH 3 CH 2 OH + 2 CO 2

4.Distillation is used to separate the components. Ethanol is evaporated from the mixture. The ethanol vapor is then condensed back to a liquid.

5.The alcohol is denatured by adding a product, such as gasoline, to render it unfit for consumption.

6.Products of this process include ethanol, carbon dioxide, and distillers grains which may be fed to livestock.

Co-products that may be used for livestock feed Corn GlutenDistillers Grain

Process of changing corn to ethanol

Net Products  One bushel of corn can produce about 2.5 gallons of ethanol fuel.  This same bushel of corn can also produce pounds of livestock feed, 16 pounds of carbon dioxide, and 2 pounds of corn oil.

Net Energy Production  Argonne National Laboratory has determined that about 1.38 BTU’s of energy are delivered for every 1.0 BTU it takes to produce the fuel  British Thermal Unit (BTU) A BTU is a standard energy term. It is the amount of heat energy required to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Net Energy Comparison  For gasoline.8 BTU is delivered for every BTU used in the process of manufacturing gasoline

Is corn the only choice for raw ingredients?  NO. It is possible to make ethanol with many different products such as potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, or materials containing cellulose such as grass, trees, waste paper or even municipal waste  Any product that contains cellulose or starch may be used

References  Argonne National Laboratory